There are several ways we can grow in our faith. What comes to mind is spending more time in the Bible, daily devotions, prayer, being part of a small group, volunteering, and of course, regular church worship. I remember writer Pastor Andrew Murray saying that if we really want to grow in our walk with Christ, we must grow in our humility.
I have found suffering to be one of the greatest ways to develop a strong faith. No one wants to suffer, but when faced with it, we can give up and cry out, “Woe is me!” or we can accept our circumstances and call out for God to help us through this ordeal.
Let me suggest another way: financial discipleship. The Bible says in many places that God is the owner of everything and that we are called to be His stewards. He has given all we have, and it is not ours to do as we please but to manage in ways that honor and glorify Him. Most Christians understand this as a noble sentiment but not as a reality to be lived.
The topic of money and possessions is the second most written about topic in all of Scripture. Why is it mentioned so frequently? The best answer I can come up with is that money can be an idol, a competitor to God. How does the Bible put it? “You cannot serve both God and money” (Matt 6:24), and “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (1 Tim 6:10).”
Again, in terms of growing in your faith, embracing a stewardship model can not only help you get your finances in order but can also help you grow in your spiritual walk as you learn to manage your resources in a God-honoring way.
Pastor Randy Alcorn wrote an excellent book called Money, Possessions, and Eternity. He wrote, “My own growth and enlightenment in financial stewardship has closely paralleled my overall spiritual growth. In fact, it has propelled it. I have learned more about faith, trust, grace, commitment, God’s provision, and other basics of the Christian life in this area than in any other.”
John Kok, CFP
